Machine for operating upon bobbins



May 29, 1956 R. E. BORCHARDT MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 50, 1953 I a 4 a. w

INVENTOR.

Robert E. Borchardt JW ni 0% ATTORNEYS N Ni M y 1956 R. E. BORCHARDTMACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS Filed March so, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. Robert E. Bore/vard ATTORNE Y6 May 29, 1956 R. E. BORCHARDTMACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 30, 1953l INVENTOR.

Robert E. Borchardz:

ATTORNEYS May 29, 1956 R. E. BORCHARDT MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPONBOBBINS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledMarch 50, 1953 INVENTOR. Robert .EBorchardt BY Qqfigwiua (411A ATTORNEYS United States Patent MAGHJNE FOROPERATING UPON vBOBBINS Robert E. Bprchardt; Rockford, 111., assignor toBarber- CdlmzihCOrnpany, Rockford, Ill.,-acorporati0n-of IllinoisApplication-March 30, 1953,-Serial No. 345,562

Claims. (CL 242-49) The invention pertains -to a machinefor.operatingupon bobbins,- of the type disclosed in copending applicationof Burt A. Peterson serial No. 169,636, filed June 22, l9-50,-nowPatent-No. 2,696,90.1,-and the general object of the invention is toprovide a carrier for transferring wound bobbins successively from oneconveyor to another, with provision forreleasing each of: the bobbinsfollowing, removal thereof from the first conveyor to anintermediately'positioned mechanism for the performance thereon of adesired operation,- and' then restoring the same tothe carrier fordelivery to the second conveyor.

A further object is: to provide in a machine of the foregoing charactera surplus yarnremoving mechanism disposedbetween the two conveyors,in-combination with acarrier operative in timed relationship'to theactuation ofthe'co'nveyorsto effect the transfer of'the' woundbobbinssuccessively from: the first conveyor to A the aforesaid mechanism, andthen to the second'conveyor.

The: mechanism for removing surplus yarn from the bobbins is of thegeneral character disclosed'and claimed in copendingapplieation ofRussell P. Drake etall, Serial No: 309;122, filed September 11, 1952.The purposeof thismechanism is to remove from the bobbinsanysurplus yarnwhich may be wound upon the butt ends of the bobbins so as to-preventthe'same from interfering'with the proper unwinding of the yarn from thebobbins; Because the surplus yarn tends to assume the form of loops on tthe bobbins, this 1 mechanism is sometimes it hereinafter referred to,.for the sake of brevity, as a loop cutter.

The objects of the invention thus' generally stated; together with otherandancillary advantages, are attained by the construction andarrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a'fragmentary front elevational-viewshowing the improvedbobbin transfer mechanism or carrier and an associated surplus yarnremoving mechanism or loop cutter interposed between the receivingconveyor of the winding machine, to whichthe bobbins are delivered uponthe completion of the: winding operation, and a condensing conveyor towhich the bobbins are delivered followingtheremoval of surplus yarntherefrom;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view.

Fig: 3 is a" fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximatelyin'lthe plane of line 3 -3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately inthe plane o'f 'lin'e44' of Fig; 1.

As fully'disclosedin said Peterson. application, a bobbinwindingmaehinegenerally designated lflhas a plurality of equidistantlyspaced windingunits 11 (one only being shown by which a plurality ofbobbins b are wound simultaneously. Uponithe completion ofapredetermined winding cycle, the wound bobbins are discharged intoreceptacles 12 on an endless conveyor 13, the receptacles being spacedapart accordingto the. spacing of the winding units. A second conveyor14, to which the bobbins are to be transferred, is similarly equippedwith bobbin receptacles 1'5", but in this instance the receptacles arearrangedin closely spaced relation.- according to, the space the bobbinsare ultimately transferred. in the manner disclosed. in PetersonPatentNo. 2,543,931.

In accordance with the: present:invention a-carrier 16 is. providedbetween the? two conveyors,- together. with an associated mechanism foroperating upon the bobbins, in this; instance a loop cutter generallydesignated 17, and said carrier istoperative in-timed. relationto'the'twov conveyors toseflect the transfer of the wound bobbinssuccessively from the receptacles 12- of the receiving conveyor 13,-first to the loopeutter. 17.: and then'to the receptacles 15 ofthe'condensing; conveyor 14,- the bobbins being; released to the loopcutter where they remain for a predetermined. time interval and then arerestored to the carrier for delivery to the condensing-conveyor.

The receiving, conveyor comprises" a pair. of endless chains 18operating, upon sprockets 19 and. carrying. the receptacles: 12; The.conveyor is driven by an electric motor 20 (Fig; 1) throughthe mediumof-a clutch 2-1- controlledby; the cycling mechanism. (not-shown)= ofthe bobbin winding. machine proper, as fully set forth in saidPetersonpatent; Similarly, the condensing conveyon comprises. a pair:ofendless chains 22 supported by sprockets 23 (Fig. 3) and carrying thereceptacles15= This-conveyor is. driven in timedrelation to thereceiving conveyor. In this instance, a shaft 24' carrying. thesprockets- 23 at: one end of the condensing conveyorcarries the.drivenelement 25. (Fig. 2) of at Geneva mechanism 26. The driving:element 27 of-- the mechanism. is-in turn fast one shaft 28 (Fig; 3)parallel with the sprocket shaft. 24. Shaft 28 alsocarries asprocket29connected' to the receiving conveyor by a chain and sprocket drivemechanism consisting of a'chain30'extending over sprockets 31g 32', and33, aswell as over a sprocket. 19a rigid with the sprocket: 19 of the:receiving conveyor. Due to."- the presence in; this driving, connectionbetween the conveyors of. the Geneva mechanism 26; the condensing.conveyor is driven with a step-by step motion.

The carrier 16 by which the bobbins are transferred from. the receivingconveyor to the condensing con: veyor, withapause. at. the: loop-cutter17, is preferablyv of the rotary type set forth in-.said Petersonapplication.- SerialNo. 169,636. lt'comprises a pair. of clampingmembers with means operative intermittently to actuate the member. so;as to grip and release each of the bobbins successivelypresented to thecarrier by the receiving-conveyor. As: shown, the clamping; membersarein the form of-disks134vandr35-having peripheral bobbin grippingportions traveling inan arcuate path intersecting. the path of thebobbinsin their passage around thedischarge endof the receivingconveyor. The disks- 3'4': and 35, are mounted upon a shaft 36 spacedapart a distance approximatelyeorresponding to the length of the bobbinsb. Also rigid with the. shaft is a sprocket 37. engaging with the chain30 which drives the condensing conveyor sothat theca'rrieris-driven-continuously with the receiving conveyor 13.

Theclamping', disk 35 of the carrier isfast on the shaft 36 while' thedisk 34- is keyedthereon for axial sliding movementito'wardz and fromthe diskv 35,. the arrangement being such that in av relativeapproaching or closing" movement of the disks the bobbins are gripped;and in the relative separating or opening movement of the disks thebobbins are released.

The aforesaid opening and' closing movements of. the carrier disks isachieved by cam means (Fig. 2') comprising a disk type: cam 38" fast on.the shaft and coacting with a follower. roller 3921 on one arm of' abell crank 39. The other arm of the bell crank engages with a Patented;May 29, 1956 3 grooved collar 40 rigid with the disk 34 and urged by aspring 4011 (Figs. 2 and 4) in a clamping or closing direction. Bellcrank 39 is pivoted on an arm 41 (Fig. 2) rigid with a bracket 42 which,in turn, is carried by a frame member 43. The bracket 42 also provides asupport for the shaft 28 as well as for a shaft 44 which supports theidler sprocket 32.

It will be apparent that the cam 38, being fast on the shaft 36,operates in the rotation of the carrier 36 to actuate the clamping disksfor the purpose of gripping and releasing the bobbins. Preferably, thecam 38 is composed of two plates secured together for relativecircumferential adjustment by a clamp screw 45.

In the arrangement shown the carrier and its control cam are driventhrough a half revolution during the movement of the conveyor 13 adistance corresponding to the spacing of the pockets 12 thereof.Accordingly, the cam is formed with two diametrically opposed sets ofactuating surfaces respectively consisting of recesses 46 and 46aseparated by lobes 47 and 47a. In general, the arrangement is asfollows: The clamping disks are separated or opened by the cam 38 sothat the disks are conditioned to receive between them a bobbin in thereceptacle 12, and at the same time to release previously grippedbobbins, one to the loop cutter 17 and the other to a receptacle of thecondensing conveyor 14. Following such opening movement a relativeapproaching or closing movement is imparted to the disks so as to gripthe next bobbin presented to the carrier by the receiving conveyor andalso to grip a bobbin which has been restored to the carrier from theloop cutter in a manner which will presently appear, the bobbins thusgripped being then advanced by the carrier to the loop cutter andcondensing chain respectively.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, one of the clamping disks (herein, the disk34) is preferably provided with two diametrically opposed pairs ofyieldable bobbin gripping elements in the form of spring plates 48, withthe plates of each pair spaced apart according to the spacing of thereceiving and delivery points. These plates have free end portionsnormally offset inwardly into the space between the disks for thepurpose of resiliently engaging and holding the bobbins. As shown, theleading edge portions 49 at the free ends of the plates 48 are bentoutwardly into notches 50 in the disk so as to form cam surfacesinsuring that the bobbins will not catch on the edges of the plates, butwill move freely into proper position between the disks.

As above indicated, the loop cutter 17 is the general type disclosed insaid copending application of Drake et al., Serial No. 309,122.Preferably, it comprises (Figs. 3 and 4) a trough-like pocket 51 havinga bottom slot 52 at the end thereof which receives the butt ends of thebobbins. Beneath the slot is a housing 53 having a pair of cutterelements 54 and communicating with an ex haust duct 55. The cutterelements 54, as in said Drake et al. application, are cylindrical incharacter, being provided with inter-meshing teeth which not only serveto provide a driving connection between them, but which additionallyserve to remove the surplus yarn by a break ing action.

While in the pocket 51 the tip ends of the bobbins are supported in anotched holder 56 and the butt ends rest upon a continuously rotatingdriver 57 for revolving the bobbins, the direction of rotation beingsuch as to unwind the surplus yarn from the butt ends of the bobbins andpermit it to be drawn by suction into the cutter elements 54. The latterare driven by a separate electric motor 58 having a drive shaft 59connected with one of the elements.

The bobbin rotating driver 57 is herein shown (Fig. 4) in the form of acupped wheel rotatable on an inclined axis and lined with an annularfriction element 60 the lower portion of which faces upwardly forengagement with the butt ends of the bobbins. This driving wheel 57 isfast on a shaft 61 supported in a bracket 62 and having a pulley 63connected by a belt 64 with a driving pulley 65. T he latter is mountedon a shaft 66 (Fig. 2) having a chain and sprocket connection 67 withthe drive shaft 28 for the condensing conveyor 14.

For restoring the bobbins to the carrier following operation thereon bythe loop cutter 17 the condensing conveyor drive shaft 28 is equippedwith a cam 68 arranged to operate a pair of lifter fingers 69 and 70respectively underlying the tip and butt ends of the bobbins whensupported in the loop cutter pocket 51. Cam 68 has a roller follower 71carried by an arm of a yoke 72 journaled on sprocket shaft 24 of thecondensing conveyor. As shown in Fig. 4 the holder 56 for the tip endsof the bobbins is spaced from the pocket 51 to accommodate the lifterfinger 69, while finger 70 overlies the bottom of the pocket adjacentthe bobbin drive wheel 57. The right hand wall of the pocket, as seen inFigs. 2 and 3, preferably extends laterally to form a guard plate 73overlying the end of the condensing conveyor. This plate, and theadjoining wall of the pocket, are appropriately slotted for the passageof the lifter finger 70.

Operation In the relation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 the clampingdisks 34 and 35 of the carrier 16 are held separated by the cam 38, thecam follower 39a being in engagement with the trailing end of the camlobe 47a. Also shown is a bobbin in the loop cutter pocket 51. With thecams 38 and 68 rotating in a counterclockwise direction, the disksremain separated while the bobbin in receptacle 12 of the receivingconveyor moves into the gripping zone defined by the intersecting arcsof the conveyor and carrier and the bobbin in the loop cutter pocket 51is shifted upwardly by the lifter fingers 69 and 70, the timing beingsuch that the lobe of cam 68 engages with its follower 71 immediatelyprior to movement of recess 46 of cam 38 into position to receive thefollower 39a.

Upon entry of the follower 3941 into the cam recess 46 the clamping disk34 is moved by the force of the biasing spring 400 acting upon thecollar 40 so as to grip the bobbins in positions A and B; and in thecontinued rotation of the earns 38 and 68 the lifter fingers 69 and 70are lowered and the bobbin which was clamped in position A is advancedto position B while the bobbin restored to the carrier at position B isadvanced to position C, in which latter position it overlies areceptacle 15 of the condensing conveyor. As the bobbins are thusadvanced to positions B and C, follower 39a is engaged by cam lobe 47 toeffect a separation of the disks and thus release the bobbins to theloop cutter and condensing conveyor simultaneously.

In the continued rotation of the carrier the clamping disks remainseparated so as to be conditioned for the reception of the next bobbindelivered to the carrier by the receiving conveyor as well as for therestoration of the previous bobbin to the carrier from the loop cutterin a repetition of the cycle above described.

It will be observed that While the cam follower 39a is in engagementwith either of the diametrically opposed recesses 46 or 46a, the bobbinsare advanced by the carrier a distance corresponding to the spacing ofpositions A, B, and C, and that while the follower is in engagement withlobes 47 or 47a the bobbin in the loop cutter is operated upon and thenrestored to position between the disks While the next bobbin is alsomoved into position between such disks by the conveyor 13. In short, twobobbins are presented to the carrier and simultaneously gripped therebyat spaced points and after a predetermined advance are simultaneouslyreleased from the carrier.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for operating upon bobbins, the combination of a firstconveyor, a second conveyor driven in timed relation to the firstconveyor, mechanism disposed between the two conveyors for operatingupon bobbins to remove surplus yarn therefrom and means for transferringbobbins from the first conveyor to said mechanism and then from saidmechanism to said second conveyor comprising a carrier having a pair ofbobbin clamping members, means for alternately opening and closing saidmembers at spaced points in the travel of the carrier, said firstconveyor operating to deliver bobbins to the carrier while said membersare open, and means also operating during said open relationship of themembers to restore bobbins from said mechanism to the carrier.

2. The combination with a bobbin winding machine having a conveyor forreceiving wound bobbins and delivering them to a predetermined dischargepoint successively, a second conveyor driven in timed relation to thereceiving conveyor, mechanism disposed between the two conveyors foroperating upon bobbins, and a rotary carrier operative to transport onebobbin from said mecha nism to the second conveyor and another bobbinfrom said discharge point to said mechanism simultaneously, saidtransporting means comprising a carrier having opposed clamping membersand means for intermittently imparting relative separating andapproaching movements .to said members whereby to clamp and releasebobbins interposed therebetween, said receiving conveyor being adaptedto move bobbins into position between clamping members while inseparated relation, and means also operating during such separatedrelation of the members to transfer a bobbin from said mechanism intoposition be- ;tween the clamping members.

3. The combination with a bobbin winding machine having a conveyor forreceiving wound bobbins and delivering them to a predetermined dischargepoint suc- "cessively, a mechanism for removing surplus yarn from :thebobbins, a carrier for transporting bobbins successively from saiddischarge point to said mechanism comprising a pair of clamping membersand control means itherefor operative to impart relative separating andapproaching movements to said members whereby to clamp :and releasebobbins interposed therebetween, said con- :trol means being adapted tohold the members separated :so as to condition them for the reception ofbobbins at :said delivery point and then to cause the bobbins to begripped by the members for advance to said mechanism,- and meansoperative while one bobbin is being delivered by the carrier to saiddelivery point to restore the bobbin from said mechanism into positionbetween the clamping members.

4. A rotary carrier for bobbins and the like comprising a pair ofopposed rotary clamping members and control means for imparting relativeapproaching and sepa= rating movements to said members at spaced pointsin rotation of the carrier, and means for delivering bobbins into apredetermined position between the members while in separated relation,one of said clamping members l1av= ing yieldable bobbin grippingelements with leading cam faces for engaging the bobbins at one endthereof,

5. In a bobbin winding machine, the combination of, a conveyor forreceiving wound bobbins and successively delivering them to a dischargepoint, a device spaced from said discharge point and operable to receivebobbins, mechanism for operating on wound bobbins disposed midwaybetween said discharge point and said device, a carrier for transportingsuccessive bobbins first from said discharge point to said mechanism andthen from said mechanism to said device, said carrier comprising a pairof rotary clamping members spaced apart axially and having opposedclamping surfaces which extend around the periphery of the members,means supporting said members for relative separating and approachingmovements to release and clamp bobbins interposed between said surfaces,and control means operable first to move said members toward each otherto grip simultaneously a bobbin at said discharge point and a bobbinfrom said mechanism and then, after rotation of said members, toseparate the members and thereby deliver the respective bobbins to saidmechanism and said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS531,616 Black Dec. 25, 1894 1,619,729 Howard Mar. 1, 1927 2,323,350Paynter July 6, 1943 2,696,901 Peterson Dec. 14, 1954 2,699,265 Railtonet al Ian. 11, 1955

